1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for measuring network operation related parameters in a mobile communication network with a core network and a radio-access network, preferably in form of a LTE- or UMTS-network, comprising the steps of                a) Configuring an entity in the mobile communication network for measuring including network operation related parameters to be measured,        b) Selecting a measuring entity,        c) Measuring the network operation related parameters by the measuring entity, and        d) Analysing the measured parameters.        
The present invention also relates to a system for measuring network operation related parameters in a mobile communication network with a core network and a radio access network, preferably in form of a LTE- or UMTS-network, comprising a measuring entity, preferably a user equipment, configured to be operable to perform network related measurements, preferably radio measurements, a configured entity, preferably a base station, to which the measuring entity is connectable, a configuring entity configured to be operable to configure the configured entity for measurement, including network operation related parameters to be measured, a selection entity configured to be operable to select the measuring entity connected to the configured entity, for measurement and an analyzing entity configured to be operable to analyse measured data of the network operation related parameters and connected to the configured entity.
Although applicable in general to measurements of a network operation related parameter, the present invention will be described with regard to measurements in form of minimization of drive tests.
Minimization of drive tests, abbreviated with MDT, is a method adopted in the 3GPP specifications for optimizing radio resources of a radio access network of a mobile communication network. When the minimization of drive tests is activated one or more user equipment are requested to perform radio related measurements for example measuring radio signal strengths. The data collected during these measurements is sent to a network entity in the mobile communication network.
Without these MDT-measurements technical people would have to perform these measurements so they have to move personally in the affected area with dedicated measurement devices.
The collected measurements are then stored in a dedicated entity, the so called Trace Collecting Entity TCE. Every time the user equipment provides collected data from MDT-measurements it reports them to the Trace Collecting Entity.
2. Description of the Related Art
In FIG. 1 a conventional signaling involved between different network elements in a LTE mobile communication network is shown. FIG. 2 shows a corresponding conventional system for a UMTS mobile communication network.
Referring now to FIG. 1 signaling involved between an element manager EM, a Mobility Management Entity MME, an evolved NodeB eNB, a user equipment UE and a Trace Collection Entity TCE is shown. In a first step S1 the mobility management entity MME request initial context set up and/or requests handover and/or requests user equipment context modification. Further the MME sends user consent indication information to the evolved NodeB eNB. Indeed the consent information indicate that a user has given his consent to participate in the MDT measurements. In a second step S2 user consent information is stored within the user equipment context at the evolved NodeB eNB.
In a third step S3 minimization of drive test MDT measurement is activated by the element manager EM and correspondingly signaled to the evolved NodeB eNB. The evolved NodeB eNB then starts in a fourth step S4 a trace session and stores MDT parameters.
In case user consent information has changed, in a fifth step S5 the mobility management entity MME requests initial context setup and/or requests handover and/or requests user equipment context modification. Furthermore the mobility management entity MME sends user consent indication information to the evolved NodeB eNB. In a sixth step S6 user consent information is stored within the user equipment context at the evolved NodeB eNB.
In a seventh step S7 the evolved NodeB eNB selects user equipment based on the received MDT parameters, for example including area scope and user consent. In an eighth step S8 the evolved NodeB activates the minimization of drive test measurements.
In a ninth step S9 the user equipment UE reports data collected during MDT measurements via RRC back to the evolved NodeB eNB. In a tenth step S10 the evolved NodeB eNB saves the data of the performed measurements by the user equipment to corresponding MDT records.
In an eleventh step S11 an anonymization level is checked, so that in the step S11a a type allocation code TAC could be sent and a cell traffic trace including TR and TRSR is provided by the evolved NodeB eNB to the mobility management entity MME. Otherwise in a step S11b no data is sent.
In a twelfth step S12 the mobility management entity MME sends the type allocation code TAC and TR as well as a TRSR to the trace collection entity TCE. In a thirteen step S13 the evolved NodeB eNB reports MDT records to the trace collection entity TCE and in a last fourteenth step S14 the MDT records are combined with a type allocation code TAC based on trace reference TR and trace recording session reference TRSR at the trace collection entity TCE.
One of the disadvantages is that in the seventh step S7 the evolved NodeB selects user equipment based on static information like area scope, i.e. cells in which a minimization of drive test MDT is performed, and/or information of user consent meaning that no minimization of drive tests MDT is performed if the user gave no consent. When a user equipment UE attaches to the evolved NodeB eNB this area scope and user consent are verified. If the user equipment UE satisfies these conditions then the minimization of drive tests is activated (step S8). The user equipment then performs measurements continuously and reports them—as mentioned above—in a ninth step S9 to the evolved NodeB. The evolved NodeB then takes care of forwarding the measurements to the trace collecting entity TCE which stores them in a database.
FIG. 2 shows a corresponding minimization of a drive test in a UMTS mobile communication system.
In a first step R1 the element manager EM sends a trace session activation including a configuration for the minimization of drive tests to a radio network controller RNC. In a second step R2 the radio network controller RNC starts a trace session by saving configuration parameters of the MDT configuration.
In a third step R3 the Serving Gatery Support Node SGSN respectively the mobile switching center MSC forwards user consent information to the radio network controller RNC. In a fourth step R4 the radio network controller RNC saves the received user consent information.
In a fifth step R5 user equipment are selected for performing MDT measurements based on area scope and user consent. In a sixth step R6 the radio network controller RNC activates MDT measurements on a user equipment UE1. The user equipment UE1 then measures continuously according to MDT and transmits in a seventh step R7 results of the measurements via RRC back to the radio network controller RNC.
In an eighth step R8 the radio network controller RNC saves the received MDT measurements to corresponding MDT records. The steps R7 and R8 may be again performed (steps R9 and R10) when continuously measuring. In an eleventh step R11 the radio network controller RNC reports the MDT records to the trace collecting entity TCE for further analysis.
FIG. 3 shows schematically a conventional system for performing MDT measurements by a user equipment and the signaling involved between the corresponding network entities. The element manager EM sends MDT configuration to one or more eNBs within a certain activation area. User equipment connected to the eNBs in the MDT measurement activation area are then performing the MDT measurements and report the results of the measurements to the corresponding eNBs. The eNBs then send then the data of the performed measurements for storage to the trace collecting entity TCE. The trace collecting entity TCE then provides the stored data for preprocessing and analysis to a user.
One of the disadvantages of the conventional systems and methods is that the amount of data collected by the MDT measurements is high, complicating a later analysis of the collected data.
A further disadvantage is that the user equipment, once determined for MDT measurements, measures continuously.
An even further disadvantage is that due to the large amount of data of the MDT measurements network resources are used to an high extent resulting in high energy consumption, in particular of the batteries of the user equipment, as well as a possible degradation of quality of service within the mobile communication network.